"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly."-Pres. Thomas S. Monson

On Sunday we got to have a special sabbath in Evanston as Grace was blessed and Jason's daughter Madeleine confirmed. My favorite part was when Shanna shared her testimony. She had some really long and trying years, and to see her happy and so richly blessed is a testament of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When you follow His plan, there is no greater joy.

We love being with our family! We were missing a few of the siblings, but we had such a great time. It was the perfect way to start out the month of November.

Real trick-or-treating with your best friends is the only way to go! The big kids lost us quickly as they sprinted from house to house, and there was nothing cuter than the surprise the little ones had on their face each time they knocked on a door to receive another piece of candy. Paige and Runey Carter talking about their costumes and candy, and holding hands as they went from house to house was the sweetest! We had a great holiday.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

For the past four months I have been training for the St. George marathon! I brought the family and Beau down with me for cheerleaders, and we had a great time soaking up as much red rock as possible.

Our favorite is Pioneer Park. The kids love climbing around over all the slick rock and squeezing through as many cracks as they can.

Dallas and Beau both brought their RC cars. It seemed like they spent more time like this repairing things than actually driving them, but I guess that is part of the fun.

The marathon? For me, it was a bit of a heartbreaker. It just wasn't a good run day for me, and the course was more difficult than I expected. I still managed to pull out a 3:27:52, snatching a new PR and a Boston Qualifying marathon. That elusive 3:19 will have to wait until next time I guess.

I think everyone will agree that our favorite part was hiking the lava tubes in Sniw Canyon. That place is stunningly beautiful! We loved being there and loved being together.

Monday, September 28, 2015

We are LOVING having our back yard done! Dallas worked tirelessly and his brother Beau came from Logan several times to help us. We laid sod with the help of neighbors and friends after a torrential downpour and on muddy ground. It was pretty wild! Having a quiet spot to play with just our family is the greatest. Wonder what our next project will be?

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

This boy! Next year he hits double digits which kind of blows my mind. I know every mother says they have the best kid, but with Will it is the truth. He is kind to his siblings, is my right hand man, tries to do what is right, keeps whining to a minimum, works hard in school and at home, and truly tries to always do what he feels is right. We are SO LUCKY that we landed him in the baby lottery 9 years ago. Plus, look at that smile! He is the handsomest boy in all the land.

This year he requested another chocolate applesause cake (always trying to be just like his dad), and asked for more animal books. He is a walking animal encyclopedia and it is awesome to always have a reference around! He got some money from grandparents and from working out in the yard that he is going to use to buy a microscope. He enjoys science and learning about the world around us, chooses cookies over every other healthy snack I can muster, picked crepes for his birthday dinner, loves roller coasters and is intrigued with haunted houses, and still loves hanging out with his dad more than anything.

Friday, September 11, 2015

It makes sense to me that the first temples were the mountains. It is easy to feel close to God when you are in the midst of some of his most wondrous creations. On Sundays, we have been taking full advantage of the beautiful weather, our family, and the peace of the Sabbath. We have loved our Sunny Sundays this summer.

After spending so much time away from the kids while we were building the house, I wanted to do something extra special for them. We decided to get season passes to Lagoon! There was a catch- they had to earn $50 each to go towards the passes and memorize and pass off all 13 Articles of Faith. They did extra chores, sold cookies and toys, and used some of their savings to earn their money, and we were so proud when our 5 and 8 year old kids passed off all the Articles of Faith!

We have made our way to Lagoon at every chance we could get! We usually went with our Robinson or Hansen cousins, but some friends have tagged along as well. It has made for the best summer ever!